EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 11/11/26

PIPELINE NEWS

• SCOTUSblog: Justices dubious of fee award in eminent domain dispute about interstate pipeline

• CBC: Northern Alberta residents question safety of proposed carbon capture and pipeline project

• Ethanol Producer: IRFA highlights importance of access to carbon capture for ethanol producers, farmers in Summit IUC docket

• Politico: FINE, I’ll PAY

• Lehigh Valley Live: Lehigh Valley UGI pipeline problems result in $150K settlement

• WKRN: Proposed gas pipeline could cut through 10 Tennessee counties, impacting hundreds of landowners

• WSMV: Here’s what to know about the 470-mile natural gas pipeline proposed for Middle Tennessee

• The UC Now: New Pipeline Proposed Through Western Dekalb, Warren

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Axios: The path ahead for the permitting bill

• Politico: Democrats who advanced permitting bill now push for changes

• Politico: Senior House Republican pushing for changes to permitting bill

• Punchbowl News: Tribal staredown over permitting

• Source NM: All Pueblo Council of Governors condemns US Senate vote advancing permitting reform bill

• South Dakota Searchlight: Rounds casts only Republican vote against advancing permitting reform bill, citing landowner concerns

• The Fence Post: Rural groups oppose permitting bill

• Press Release: AG Brown calls for additional revisions on permitting reform bill

• Utility Dive: Permitting bill advances in Senate, but election results cast doubt on its future

• Inside Climate News: Senate Advances Permitting Overhaul But Roadblocks Loom

• Bloomberg: Senators Key to Permitting Bill Drum Up Bipartisan House Support

• Heatmap: House Moderates Say Now Is the Time for Permitting Reform

• Washington Post: Many liberals hate this bill to overhaul permitting. Democrats may help pass it anyway

• Politico: Trump’s energy council faces its biggest test: Keeping its own permitting deal alive

• Heatmap: Energy Department gives $480 million for offshore drilling in the Gulf

• Politico: US energy production to rise in 2027, EIA says

STATE UPDATES

• North Dakota Monitor: Poll: North Dakotans worry data centers will strain power, water

• Houston Chronicle: Sable Offshore’s CEO was Houston’s highest-paid executive. Now the oil company may go under.

EXTRACTION

• Guardian: Slight fall in carbon emissions from fossil fuels as Iran war drives renewables push

• New York Times: Exxon Strikes Preliminary Deal to Return to Venezuela

• Gathering Lines: Exxon targets scientists with subpoenas in response to a plastics lawsuit

• CBC: Why oilsands investors may be reluctant to support big expansion projects [VIDEO]

• New York Times: Anger About Rising Electricity Bills Might Derail World’s Largest Utility Merger

• Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA): Weaker EU carbon prices risk shifting CCS costs to taxpayers

CLIMATE FINANCE

• Canadian Press: Environmental group sends legal warning to pensions over potential LNG investments

OPINION

• Anchorage Daily News: It is unacceptable to renew the trans-Alaska pipeline system lease 7 years early

• Commonwealth Beacon: By undercutting gas pipeline expansion, Massachusetts risks making an energy affordability problem worse

• Bloomberg: Democrats Should Take the Permitting Deal

• Denver Post: The bipartisan permitting reform bill is a trojan horse for development on public land
  

PIPELINE NEWS

SCOTUSblog: Justices dubious of fee award in eminent domain dispute about interstate pipeline
Ronald Mann, 11/10/26

“The argument yesterday in Hoffmann v. WBI Energy Transmission, Inc. left little doubt about how the justices will resolve this one: they seem unlikely to hold that the gas company condemning land for a federally approved pipeline should have to pay attorneys’ fees that the United States would not have to pay if it condemned the land directly,” SCOTUSblog reports. “…The landowners here argue, with some support in the lower courts, that if the pipeline company rather than the United States condemns the land, the pipeline company should be bound by state-law rules that require more compensation than the federal Constitution. In particular, North Dakota law well might require the company to pay the attorneys’ fees of the landowners. The justices, though, were having none of it. The air was redolent with skepticism from the moment Robert McNamara rose to press the landowners’ view… “The share of simple unanimous statutory cases is not so high as it used to be, but this has all the earmarks of a straightforward unanimous affirmance.”

CBC: Northern Alberta residents question safety of proposed carbon capture and pipeline project
Jessica Campbell, 11/10/26

“Residents in the Cold Lake region are seeking more information about a proposed project that would bring a 650-kilometre carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline and storage site to the region,” the CBC reports. “Lori Geneau, one of about 50 residents at a Nov. 5 session in Bonnyville hosted by the Oil Sands Alliance, told CBC she’s had trouble finding answers to her questions about the plan. “There’s nothing in the entire world like this,” she told CBC. “Nothing is to the magnitude and size of what this scale is that they’re planning for the Lakeland area.” “…Three First Nations in Alberta have filed legal challenges against the Pacific Link, and say the expected rise in oilsands production from it and Pathways raises questions and concerns about impacts to water, the environment, Treaty rights, wildlife and human health. Geneau told CBC she’s concerned about the lack of an environmental impact assessment. It’s not enough to rely on studies prepared by Pathways’ proponents, she said, adding that only an independent review can properly evaluate its risks… “Other residents who spoke at last week’s session in Bonnyville also had questions about safety… “This question of Pathways should be, you know, is the risk worth the reward?” said Lee Thom from Kikino Metis Settlement at the Bonnyville session.”

Ethanol Producer: IRFA highlights importance of access to carbon capture for ethanol producers, farmers in Summit IUC docket
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, 11/10/26

“On Nov. 6, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and Iowa Corn Growers Association submitted written comments to the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC), highlighting the widening competitive gap between ethanol producers with access to carbon capture, use, and sequestration (CCUS) technology, such as Summit Carbon Solutions’ CO2 pipeline, and those without it,” according to Ethanol Producer. “In particular, the comments noted that Iowa’s farm economy has seen dramatic increases in bankruptcies at the same time as falling farm income in recent years. A 2026 study commissioned by both groups concluded that this trend could be reversed by “enabling new demand opportunities to be realized…through ultra-low-carbon ethanol, farmers could get their returns from the market.” The letter outlined hundreds of millions of gallons of new ethanol projects coming online across the Midwest from producers utilizing CCUS technology… “IRFA and ICGA concluded their comments by requesting that the IUC “consider Summit Carbon Solutions’ permit requests in a thoughtful but expeditious manner with a full understanding of the public benefit at stake for ethanol producers, farmers, and the entire Iowa economy.”

Politico: FINE, I’ll PAY
Mike Soraghan, 11/10/26

“President Donald Trump’s top oil and gas donor will pay one-quarter of the original $40 million fine sought by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for environmental damage during pipeline construction,” Politico reports. “The $10 million settlement between FERC and Dallas-based Energy Transfer ends a nearly 10-year saga that began at the height of the national pipeline construction spree that followed the country’s shale drilling boom. A crew tunneling a hole for the Rover gas pipeline in Ohio in 2017 leaked more than 1 million gallons of diesel-laced drilling fluid into a protected wetland. FERC investigators said their investigation uncovered “a corporate culture that favored speed and construction progress over regulatory compliance.”

Lehigh Valley Live: Lehigh Valley UGI pipeline problems result in $150K settlement
Dan Gleiter, 11/11/26

“The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted unanimously to approve a settlement with UGI Utilities Inc. over pipeline construction and oversight problems in several Lehigh Valley communities, imposing a $150,000 civil penalty on the natural gas company,” Lehigh Valley Live reports. “The 5-0 vote Nov. 5 resolved an investigation by the commission’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (I&E) into plastic natural gas pipe installations. Under the settlement terms, UGI cannot pass along the costs of the investigation or corrective work to its customers… “The problems came to light in late 2022 when inspectors conducting a safety inspection in Nazareth observed a contractor failing to follow UGI construction procedures during the installation of a plastic natural gas main, according to a PUC news release on the settlement… “PUC officials said the investigation identified 27 plastic butt fusion joints and 25 electrofusion joints that failed visual inspections or company protocols. UGI has excavated and replaced all the problematic joints, and the contractor employees responsible for the faulty installations are no longer allowed to work on the company’s natural gas distribution system, according to the release.”

WKRN: Proposed gas pipeline could cut through 10 Tennessee counties, impacting hundreds of landowners
Sam Chimenti, 11/10/26

“A proposed multi-billion dollar natural gas pipeline could cut through 10 Tennessee counties,” WKRN reports. “…The company proposing the Southeast Connector Pipeline,, Kinder Morgan, said the pipeline is driven by a growing demand for reliable energy. If built, the project would go through portions of Macon, Trousdale, and Smith counties, heading all the way south to Franklin and Marion counties… “But some landowners along the proposed route are already skeptical. “It would probably take about four acres of my property,” Shari Lydy, who lives in Marion County, told WKRN. “They can clear cut 50 (feet) for the easement, up to another 100, 150 (feet) for construction. And that’s clear cutting: every tree down. I love my trees. And we have lots of sandstone they’ll have to blast; blast damage to our homes, animals, the environment. Noise!” Lydy does not think this pipeline would help her, or the other potentially impacted landowners… “A petition among landowners across this pipeline route has been started… “Once the pipeline is in service, there is very little visible impact to landowners. Pipelines such as this one are underground, and most people don’t even realize they are there,” Kinder Morgan told WKRN.”

WSMV: Here’s what to know about the 470-mile natural gas pipeline proposed for Middle Tennessee
Chasity Maynard, 11/10/26

“Sumner County homeowners are set to get a letter in the mail in the coming weeks about a newly proposed pipeline that could be coming to the area,” WSMV reports. “Southern Natural Gas Company, L.L.C., which is a subsidiary of and operated by Kinder Morgan, wants to build a new natural gas pipeline that stretches all the way from Sumner County to Monroe County, Georgia. A fact sheet on the proposed Southeast Connector Project says it is expected to span about 470 miles, crossing right through Middle Tennessee counties including Sumner, Wilson, Smith and Macon… “The organization hopes to submit a pre-filing request to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by the end of 2026, and then submit a certificate application to the FERC by the third quarter of 2027… “The organization says it contributes more than $38 million each year in state and local taxes to help support schools, infrastructure and community services in the Volunteer State, Alabama and Georgia.”

The UC Now: New Pipeline Proposed Through Western Dekalb, Warren
11/10/26

“Energy company Kinder Morgan is planning a 470-mile methane gas pipeline through several Upper Cumberland counties on its way to Alabama,” The UC Now reports. “Southern Natural Gas officials said the pipeline is expected to transport an initial 2.6 billion cubic feet of methane gas daily with a target in-service date of late 2030… “The project is valued at some $7.6 billion… “Landowner notices are currently proceeding as the company moves forward with the project.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Axios: The path ahead for the permitting bill
Ben Geman, 11/10/26

“The Senate’s bipartisan permitting bill advanced in a lopsided vote on Monday, but key hurdles lie ahead,” Axios reports. “…Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement afterward that he has “outstanding concerns” with the bill that he’ll “fight to address” through amendments. He’s not alone in only a tentative yes vote. For instance, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) is against final passage unless changes to the National Historic Preservation Act are jettisoned, citing tribal concerns. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is in a similar place… “The bill’s success depends on Trump officials “getting wind turbines up and spinning to get affordable energy on the grid,” and progress is needed before final passage, Whitehouse said in a statement.”

Politico: Democrats who advanced permitting bill now push for changes
Nico Portuondo, Pavan Acharya, 11/10/26

“…The 22 Democrats backing the bill S. 5653 (119) represent a varying cross-section of the caucus: potential 2028 presidential contenders, climate hawks, and members of leadership. Many of them say their support in two procedural votes Monday and Tuesday does not necessarily signal unqualified support for the underlying legislation,” Politico reports. “…A person familiar with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) thinking, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told Politico the senator is still undecided on the bill and has drafted and is circulating an amendment among Democratic and Republican colleagues to modify the bill’s provisions concerning the Clean Water Act. The person told Politico Shaheen believes the underlying legislation would make it more difficult for states to protect water quality by denying permits or attaching conditions to a project… “Twenty-two Democrats, led by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), also filed an amendment Tuesday to strike the bill’s proposed changes to the National Historic Preservation Act. The permitting reform bill would place new limits on tribal nations’ ability to challenge permitting decisions under the law.”

Politico: Senior House Republican pushing for changes to permitting bill
Kelsey Brugger and Nico Portuondo, 11/10/26

“House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie said Tuesday he’s looking to make changes on “grid reliability” and other electricity provisions in the bipartisan permitting bill that’s currently working its way through the Senate,” Politico reports. “In an interview with Politico, the Kentucky Republican said he was “encouraged” and “optimistic” while he continues to negotiate with the key Senate players. “We’re continuing to work — there’s still more details to work out,” he told Politico. “But I’ve been real pleased with the Senate listening to us … The Senate is not trying to pass a bill and say take it or leave it to the House, they are working with us.” But Guthrie’s push for changes come as Senate Democrats are also seeking amendments to the bill before its final passage. While Senate negotiators have promised a “healthy amendment process,” it’s unclear exactly how many changes can be made without upsetting the delicate bipartisan balance of the bill. Any major changes to the transmission section — a key component for Democrats to bring more clean energy on the grid — could upend the deal, Guthrie acknowledged… “After the Problem Solvers Caucus meeting, Democratic Rep. Salud Carbajal of California underscored the difficulty some Democrats are wrestling with.”

Punchbowl News: Tribal staredown over permitting
Josh Siegel and Laura Weiss, 11/11/26

“Senate negotiators and the White House are batting back a late push from some Democrats to remove a section of their bipartisan energy permitting reform bill that streamlines the National Historic Preservation Act,” Punchbowl News reports. “…But some Democrats led by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) are pushing to strike the language altogether, which won’t happen because it would upset the balance of a carefully negotiated bill… “I don’t think we can land the bill with Republicans if we completely strip it out,” Democratic co-author Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), who faced tribal backlash in his home state, told Punchbowl. A senior White House official told Puncbowl they won’t support the bill without the NHPA reforms.”

Source NM: All Pueblo Council of Governors condemns US Senate vote advancing permitting reform bill
Patrick Lohmann, 11/10/26

“Members of the All Pueblo Council of Governors, which represents 19 New Mexico Pueblos, on Tuesday reiterated their opposition to a federal permitting reform bill that advanced in the U.S. Senate on Monday evening,” Source NM reports. “Members of the council attended the vote in Washington, D.C., in person and watched the vote unfold that advanced the bill toward a U.S. Senate floor vote. The Pueblos are opposed to provisions in the 494-page permitting reform bill leaders say will exclude tribal input on energy and other development projects on sacred lands. They remain opposed despite changes that sponsors, including U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), made to the bill over the weekend. Heinrich has touted the bill as a way to unlock more renewable energy developments, thereby cutting emissions, but bill opponents say any climate benefits come at the cost of more fossil fuel projects and data centers.”

South Dakota Searchlight: Rounds casts only Republican vote against advancing permitting reform bill, citing landowner concerns
11/11/26

“Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds voted against advancing a permitting reform bill Monday, while his fellow South Dakotan, Republican Majority Leader John Thune, voted yes,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “…Rounds was the only Republican who voted no. Rounds released a statement Monday on social media saying he appreciates his Senate colleagues “opening a much-needed conversation surrounding permitting reform,” but he believes “any discussions surrounding permitting reform should allow for the opportunity to resolve any issues at the state level.” “…Opponents of carbon-capture pipelines have also opposed the legislation. A group of over 50 environmental, landowner, Indigenous and community groups signed a letter last month urging members of Congress to oppose the permitting reform bill, saying it would “weaken rather than strengthen safeguards for communities facing risky and unnecessary pipelines, injection wells and other infrastructure for the carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry.”

The Fence Post: Rural groups oppose permitting bill
11/10/26

“A coalition of farm and other rural groups sent congressional leaders a letter Monday in opposition to the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) of 2026, better known as the permitting reform bill,” The Fence Post reports. “…While BAAJA has some provisions intended to speed the development of renewable sources of energy, they are more than offset by provisions that would decimate the environmental statutes that Americans depend on to protect the health of their families, their communities, and the waterways they depend on for safe drinking water, recreation, aquatic habitat, and economic and agricultural uses, including livestock watering and crop irrigation,” the groups said in a letter released by Food and Water Watch. The American Farm Bureau Federation also said in a report released Monday that the permitting bill ‘comes up short for agriculture in two important areas: energy policy and Clean Water Act provisions.”

Press Release: AG Brown calls for additional revisions on permitting reform bill
11/10/26

“Attorney General Nick Brown co-led a coalition of 17 attorneys general in sending a letter to two U.S. Senate committees regarding the proposed Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, commonly known as the permitting reform bill, which aims to streamline the process for approving energy projects. The draft bill, introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, is a wide-ranging package to reform energy permitting and infrastructure. While the bill has laudable goals, it contains problematic provisions that would risk abuse by polluting industries and impinge on state and tribal sovereignty. The coalition’s letter highlights concerns with the bill and requests that the Senate postpone voting on the bill until more revisions can be made to ensure the bill achieves its stated goals and contains appropriate environmental and public health protections.”

Utility Dive: Permitting bill advances in Senate, but election results cast doubt on its future
Diana DiGangi, 11/10/26

“…Immediately following the election results, analysts at TD Cowen cut their outlook for the bill’s success from about 40% to around 25%,” Utility Dive reports. “Democrats’ large victory “likely emboldens voices” arguing the BAAJA gives too many concessions to the oil and gas sector, and that the party should delay reform until 2027 when it can pursue a “party-line, renewable-focused bill,” the analysts said. The version of the bill that advanced this week included a manager’s amendment, added over the weekend, that sought to address some concerns, including tribal consultation and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authority. But Democrats in both chambers, including at least one senator who voted to advance the bill, have said they want to see more changes… ““At the demand of the fossil fuel titans, this bill also accelerates the extraction and burning of fossil fuels,” Merkley said. “This bill could make it easier to build more data centers powered by ‘behind the meter’ natural gas plants. And it impacts the sovereignty and rights of Tribes.” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., voted to advance the bill but warned in a Monday release that tribes in Nevada still have concerns regarding the legislation’s changes to the National Historic Preservation Act, and if those aren’t struck from the bill, she will not vote for final passage… “Former FERC Chairman Mark Christie said in a Monday LinkedIn post that the manager’s amendment had not “at all” addressed two of his three major concerns with the legislation.”

Inside Climate News: Senate Advances Permitting Overhaul But Roadblocks Loom
Marianne Lavelle, Dan Gearino, 11/10/26

“…But the bill still faces challenges,” Inside Climate News reports. “Some Democratic senators who voted for cloture, thereby limiting debate on the bill, made clear they will work to amend the measure to ensure that it does not erode the rights of Native American tribal nations to make decisions on projects that affect their lands. But any changes to the legislation risk losing Republican support. And the bill still must pass the House, where Republicans have a slimmer majority and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has already voiced opposition. Perhaps the wildest card is President Donald Trump, who even while the Senate vote was underway, denounced wind energy. “I will not approve wind turbines because wind turbines are a major loser,” he said during an impromptu news conference… “Afterward, the legislation’s co-author, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), released a statement making clear that Democrats could withdraw their support if the president’s war against renewable energy continues. “As I have said all along, the ultimate success of this bill depends on the Trump administration getting wind turbines up and spinning to get affordable energy on the grid, and we still need to make progress on that front before final passage,” he said. The deep divisions over the measure reflect how much permitting reform has become a referendum on the chief weapon the environmental movement has used thus far in the drive to curb climate change: the power to block fossil fuel projects, mainly through lawsuits… “Opponents’ biggest concern are provisions that make it more difficult for state and tribal governments to stop oil and gas pipelines and other infrastructure projects through lawsuits and environmental review. “This bill was shaped by the very industries that have spent decades damaging our health, exploiting our resources, and putting our futures at risk,” Mar Zepeda Salazar, legislative director at Climate Justice Alliance, told ICN after the vote.”

Bloomberg: Senators Key to Permitting Bill Drum Up Bipartisan House Support
Kellie Lunney, 11/10/26

“Tribal consultation language and changes to critical environmental laws in the permitting overhaul bill were among the concerns House members raised Tuesday during a closed-door meeting with the legislation’s four Senate negotiators,” Bloomberg reports. “Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) briefed members of the House Problem Solvers Caucus on the bill to drum up support while the Senate considers the legislation this week. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), a member of the influential caucus who co-leads its permitting task force, characterized the meeting as “pretty positive” but didn’t know whether the group would…”

Heatmap: House Moderates Say Now Is the Time for Permitting Reform
Jael Holzman, 11/10/26

“Key House Democrats batted back against waiting until the next Congress to do a major permitting reform bill,” Heatmap reports. “Speaking at a Heatmap event in downtown D.C. on Tuesday morning, multiple House Democrats — Representatives Nikki Budzinski of Illinois and George Whitesides and Scott Peters, both of California — all threw cold water on the idea that Democrats should wait until next year, when they will have full control over both houses of Congress, to advance a permitting bill like the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, a.k.a. BAAJA. “I disagree with that,” Budzinski, who is also vice-chair for policy for the New Democratic Coalition, a large bloc of Democrats, told Heatmap. Under the incoming Democratic majority, she told Heatmap, it may be more challenging to convince Republicans to jump the fence to get to the 60 votes needed in the Senate… “Both I and Heatmap founding editor Robinson Meyer asked lawmakers at the Heatmap event what they thought of Huffman and Merkley’s argument. All of them were quite bearish on the idea of a future deal between a Democratic Congress and Trump White House… “Heinrich, who spoke with Rob at Tuesday’s event, also attacked the notion of waiting, saying that he’s seen this suggestion fail “over and over again.” “When is that a real thing? Give me a break. We should do a lot more in the next Congress. Let’s get this as the floor and then let’s raise the floor everywhere we possibly can,” he said.”

Washington Post: Many liberals hate this bill to overhaul permitting. Democrats may help pass it anyway
Jake Spring, 11/11/26

“…What alarms many liberals and environmentalists is the sweeping changes that the bill would make to bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act,” the Washington Post reports. “The measure would make it difficult to take permits away after they have been awarded to projects and narrow the ability of lawsuits to stop projects… ““It will profoundly transform key areas of environmental law with sweeping consequences for pretty much all project development of all types,” Danny Cullenward, an economist and lawyer at University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, told the Post. “That is true whether you like the transformations it proposes or whether you have profound concerns.” Tracy Stone-Manning, president of The Wilderness Society, an advocacy group, said in a statement that the bill represents a threat to iconic public lands, including in the Alaskan Arctic, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota and Bears Ears National Monument in Utah… “Some Democrats are urging the bill be set aside until the next Congress, when they will have the majority and can secure a better deal for clean energy… “The bill could still be weeks from final Senate passage and would face an uncertain future in the House.”

Politico: Trump’s energy council faces its biggest test: Keeping its own permitting deal alive
Scott Waldman, 11/10/26

“President Donald Trump created the National Energy Dominance Council in 2025 to supercharge American energy production. Its biggest obstacle may now be Trump himself,” Politico reports. “…“This is a test for Congress, it’s a test for the administration,” Rich Goldberg, who helped establish the energy council last year, served as its senior counselor and is now a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish foreign policy think tank, told Politico. “It’s a test for the ability to do something big together on a bipartisan level.” “…The permitting bill is the most public effort so far by the NEDC, which has spent most of its existence working behind the scenes to speed permitting for a broad range of energy projects. Whether it can shepherd this legislation to the president’s desk, a week after the Republican Election Day humiliation and amid a West Wing staff shakeup at the highest levels, will help determine the council’s relevance for the next two years – and serves as a major test for bipartisanship in the Beltway’s new power dynamics.”

Heatmap: Energy Department gives $480 million for offshore drilling in the Gulf
Alexander C. Kaufman, 11/11/26

“The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, formerly the Loan Programs Office, closed a $480 million loan for a Texas-based company’s effort to modernize and boost production from 22 offshore oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico,” Heatmap reports. “Arena Energy, the Woodlands, Texas-based company behind the initiative dubbed Project Elkhorn, said that the initiative will add 38,600 barrels of oil per day and up to 77 million cubic feet of natural gas per day to U.S. energy output… “By providing financing for projects like Project Elkhorn, the Energy Department is expanding domestic production and strengthening our energy security to power American prosperity for decades to come,” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a statement.”

Politico: US energy production to rise in 2027, EIA says
Mike Soraghan, 11/10/26

“The United States will produce and export record amounts of energy next year even as fuel prices will stay high, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said Tuesday,” Politico reports. “Oil and electricity production reaching all-time highs fit President Donald Trump’s drive for ‘energy dominance,’ although the upward trends preceded his return to office in 2025. And most of the electricity generation will come from utility-scale solar rather than coal, oil or gas, the fossil fuels Trump prefers… “EIA in its latest Short Term Energy Outlook expects crude oil to reach 14.3 million barrels a day next year, a new record. The United States has produced more oil than any country ever for several years. Commercial oil inventories for October fell to a 12-year low last month, but EIA now expects inventories to rise with higher imports and increased production… “ Fuel prices will be lower next year, although still above 2025 levels, the EIA report said. The agency forecast shows diesel will average $5.03 per gallon, up from $4.49 in the October forecast, and gasoline will average $3.73 per gallon, up from $3.56 per gallon.”

STATE UPDATES

North Dakota Monitor: Poll: North Dakotans worry data centers will strain power, water
Michael Standaert, 11/10/26

“Worries over how adding new data centers in the state could impact the electric bills of residents and strain local water systems are high, the latest North Dakota Poll has found,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “When asked how concerned they were about data centers increasing electricity bills, 76% expressed concern, with 49% saying they were very concerned… “Water use is also high on the list of concerns, with 76% worried that data center water use could strain local water systems, and with 45% of respondents saying they were very concerned. Asked whether they were more concerned about the water and electricity use of AI data centers or traditional data centers, 42% said they were more concerned about AI data centers. “I thought it was pretty stark that over three in four respondents have concerns about the electrical rates and the water usage,” State Rep. Zachary Ista, D-Grand Forks, told the Monitor. Ista noted that the concerns over risks were higher than optimism about the potential for tax revenue and job creation.”

Houston Chronicle: Sable Offshore’s CEO was Houston’s highest-paid executive. Now the oil company may go under.
Rachel Nostrant, 11/11/26

“After years of court battles and repeated intervention by the Trump administration, Sable Offshore told investors this week that it may not be able to survive the next year,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “The Houston-based oil company’s sole customer curtailed its purchase of Sable fuel in October, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Monday. That has left Sable struggling to pay its bills, the filing said. Sable found three new clients but “does not expect to have sufficient liquidity to meet its obligations as they become due in the near term,” the company said in the filing. Issuing such a warning to investors is “very rare for a larger oil and gas company,” Leo Mariani, a senior research analyst at Roth Capital Partners, told the Chronicle, particularly at a time when oil prices are high and much of the energy industry is reporting record profits… “Despite the company’s expensive and ongoing legal battles, Flores, the chief executive of Sable Offshore, earned $76 million last year, according to securities filings. He was the highest-paid Houston executive in 2025, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis.”

EXTRACTION

Guardian: Slight fall in carbon emissions from fossil fuels as Iran war drives renewables push
Fiona Harvey, 11/10/26

“Soaring oil and gas prices following the war in Iran have encouraged people to look beyond fossil fuels, leading to an easing of climate-damaging carbon emissions this year,” the Guardian reports. “Carbon dioxide from oil, gas and coal is forecast to flatline for 2026, based on data from the year so far, according to a comprehensive assessment by scientists. Emissions from burning oil alone will drop by 2% as drivers economise on fuel use and flock to electric vehicles instead. The findings, presented on Tuesday morning at the Cop31 climate talks hosted by Turkey in Antalya, show both the impact of the Iran war and the global expansion of cheap renewable energy, chiefly solar and wind power. Talk of a global turnaround would be premature, however, the report’s authors and other analysts said. The report was published in Nature Climate Change. The reduction in emissions from fossil fuels for 2026 will be about 0.4% compared with last year.”

New York Times: Exxon Strikes Preliminary Deal to Return to Venezuela
Rebecca F. Elliott, 11/9/26

“Exxon Mobil, the biggest U.S. oil company, said on Monday that it reached a preliminary deal with Venezuela that brings it a step closer to returning to the South American country,” the New York Times reports. “The agreement gives Exxon time to evaluate oil production opportunities, and is not binding — stipulations similar to those in other agreements struck by U.S. oil companies this year as they consider investing in Venezuela… “Exxon, in a statement about the deal, said that “any future investment would require stable policies, clear regulations, strong investment protections and competitive returns.” “…Nevertheless, it marks a remarkable turnaround from January, when Darren Woods, Exxon’s chief executive, called Venezuela “uninvestable.”

Gathering Lines: Exxon targets scientists with subpoenas in response to a plastics lawsuit
Emily Sanders, 11/10/26

“In March, a stranger appeared at scientist Judith Weis’ Manhattan apartment to serve her with legal papers from ExxonMobil. The major producer of plastics chemicals was demanding years of data, drafts, and text messages concerning any research related to microplastics and human health,” Gathering Lines reports. “…Weis is one of several scientists caught in the snare of Exxon’s defense against an ongoing lawsuit brought by Sierra Club and three other California environmental nonprofits. The lawsuit, filed in 2024, argues that the oil and petrochemical giant waged a “decades-long campaign asserting that single-use plastics trash is harmless and can be disposed of easily and safely.” At least two other scientists affiliated with universities and one research facilitator have also received subpoenas from the company as the case moves through discovery, seeking years of funding details, draft history, markups, corrections, underlying data, and communications around their studies… “Some legal experts and scientists say that subpoenas against researchers can disrupt and chill the scientific process when researchers know their unpublished work could be misrepresented. They can also strain scientists’ time, derail their research, and be used to question their integrity.”

CBC: Why oilsands investors may be reluctant to support big expansion projects [VIDEO]
11/10/26

“Former Suncor chief executive Mark Little explains why shareholders of oilsands companies may have little incentive to support spending tens of billion of dollars on new production facilities. Currently, the Alberta government is developing an incentive program to encourage companies to increase production,” the CBC reports.

New York Times: Anger About Rising Electricity Bills Might Derail World’s Largest Utility Merger
Ivan Penn, 11/9/26

“A merger that would form the world’s largest retail electric utility has become a political lightning rod in Virginia, drawing intense opposition from state leaders and residents who were already upset about rising electricity prices,” the New York Times reports. “The state’s governor, attorney general and many consumers have complained that the acquisition of Dominion Energy, based in Richmond, Va., by NextEra Energy, of Juno Beach, Fla., would not offer enough benefits for Virginians. Instead, they said, the deal could result in higher costs and poorer customer service while making NextEra more politically and economically powerful. Rising electricity rates have become an issue across the country. They played a role in the midterm elections this week and when Virginia picked a new governor last year. In both cases, Democratic candidates pledged to do more to address prices than Republicans had.”

Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA): Weaker EU carbon prices risk shifting CCS costs to taxpayers
11/11/26

“Weakening EU carbon price forecasts are widening the funding gap for carbon capture and storage (CCS), risking a shift in costs from polluters to taxpayers while reducing revenues available to help industry decarbonise, according to new research from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). IEEFA estimates that capturing, transporting and storing 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year would cost €351 billion over 25 years.* This illustrative scenario matches the scale of the EU’s 2030 injection target. Carbon prices would cover only part of these costs. Using Dutch bank ABN AMRO’s August 2026 carbon price forecasts, IEEFA estimates a funding gap of €142 billion, up 38% from €103 billion under the bank’s May assumptions, with no change to projects or costs… “Lower carbon prices leave CCS project owners with a substantial gap to meet through reduced costs, higher industrial prices, lower company returns or public support. Increasingly, the EU appears to be choosing government intervention, proposing greater public spending to compensate for a carbon price it is simultaneously trying to restrain. “If governments weaken the carbon price, extend free allowances for industry and then subsidise its decarbonisation, the financial burden shifts increasingly from polluters to the public,” said Andrew Reid, energy finance analyst, Europe, at IEEFA and author of the report… “The EU is therefore proposing to commit ever-larger sums of public money to technologies whose costs are still high and whose large-scale development remains uncertain.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

Canadian Press: Environmental group sends legal warning to pensions over potential LNG investments
Lauren Krugel, 11/11/26

“Environmental advocacy group Stand.earth has enlisted a high-profile law firm to warn six major pension funds against investing in liquefied natural gas megaprojects, saying climate-related and other risks could expose plan administrators to legal action,” the Canadian Press reports. “The letter from Anne-Julie Asselin, partner at Trudel Johnston & Lespérance, was sent last week to trustees of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Public Sector Pension Investment Board, Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, University Pension Plan and Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan… “As the financial risks associated with fossil fuel investments become more significant, more foreseeable and better understood, prudence demands an increasingly rigorous assessment of those investments,” Asselin wrote in the letter. “Disregarding such risks becomes more difficult to justify and may carry legal consequences.” She urged pensions to “refrain from investing, either directly or via a private fund, in LNG Canada, Ksi Lisims LNG or comparable Canadian LNG projects unless and until it can demonstrate, on the basis of a rigorous and transparent assessment, that such investments are consistent with its statutory and fiduciary obligations.”

OPINION

Anchorage Daily News: It is unacceptable to renew the trans-Alaska pipeline system lease 7 years early
Catherine Rocchi is an associate attorney at the Center for Asset Retirement Accountability, a nonprofit organization addressing the problem of aging fossil fuel infrastructure across the United States; Brian Kassof is the lead regulatory analyst at the Alaska Public Interest Research Group, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, 11/10/26

“Did you know that regulators are on the verge of authorizing the trans-Alaska pipeline system to operate for another 30 years?,” Catherine Rocchi and Brian Kassof write for the Anchorage Daily News. “The trans-Alaska pipeline system, or TAPS, runs 800 miles from oil production fields on Alaska’s North Slope to the Valdez Marine Terminal on Prince William Sound, the site of the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill… “Although the current TAPS right-of-way leases don’t expire until 2034, the pipeline’s owners jumped the gun and applied for a new 30-year extension in September — more than seven years early. Now, state and federal agencies are on the verge of renewing the right-of-way leases for another 30 years with minimal public input. Why is this a problem? First, it effectively extends the length of the lease to more than 37 years. Such an early lease renewal sets a precedent that other pipeline operators could cite when submitting premature renewal applications. Second, the metrics used by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to evaluate the pipeline owners are designed to forecast a company’s risk of default over the next two years… “Lastly, both the state and federal agencies have refused to consider the likelihood the pipeline will reach the end of its useful life during this next lease period… “Regulators must take decommissioning seriously. In their current leases with the state and federal governments, the TAPS owners promised to dismantle the pipeline, remove the infrastructure from the landscape and restore the underlying land when the pipeline is no longer operating. This decommissioning process would restore sensitive Alaska environments and create jobs. But the current leases contain legal loopholes that could allow the pipeline owners to delay or avoid decommissioning obligations.”

Commonwealth Beacon: By undercutting gas pipeline expansion, Massachusetts risks making an energy affordability problem worse
José Costa is president and CEO of the Northeast Gas Association, 11/9/26

“As the leader of a trade association representing the natural gas industry, I am watching with growing concern as Massachusetts policymakers promise a clean, affordable energy future, while proposing policies that make both goals unattainable,”José Costa writes for the Commonwealth Beacon. “Leaders in Boston say they share their constituents’ affordability concerns – yet the state Senate’s energy legislation, S. 3143, undermines the infrastructure investments needed to provide safe, reliable, and affordable energy at lower cost. Natural gas powers more than half of the electricity generation in New England… “Yet for years, the Commonwealth has blocked or delayed critical pipeline expansions. These constraints have real consequences: diminished reliability for power plants, moratoria on new gas hookups in parts of the state, and higher energy prices… “Instead of addressing these constraints, pending Senate legislation doubles down on costly energy policies and seeks to phase out the Gas System Enhancement Program (GSEP), a crucial program enacted to address Massachusetts’ aging leak-prone natural gas infrastructure, which is among the oldest in the nation. The legislation frames such investments as “unnecessary and expensive,” but the need to replace aging infrastructure does not disappear because policymakers want to accelerate the energy transition… “Natural gas is not an obstacle to a clean energy future; it is the proven, affordable, lower-emission backbone that supports renewables with flexible, around-the-clock power.”

Bloomberg: Democrats Should Take the Permitting Deal
Editorial Board, 11/11/26

“You might not know it from all the post-election recriminations, but Congress is on the cusp of a major bipartisan victory,” according to the Bloomberg Editorial Board. “…So far, the plan has the support of industry, clean energy producers, many climate groups, business leaders, numerous unions, much of the Senate and the White House. What’s the holdup? Some Democrats, buoyant after landslide victories in the midterms, have argued that they should now hold out for a better deal (for instance, one that includes more environmental protections or restrictions on fossil fuel projects). They shouldn’t… “Congressional relations with the president are unlikely to improve over the coming months. History, too, counsels quick action: Democrats had a chance to pass a similar measure with a governing trifecta in 2022 and couldn’t strike a deal. Both parties should thus seize on the momentum they currently have. Few political victories would be clearer, or cleaner. Just get it done.”

Denver Post: The bipartisan permitting reform bill is a trojan horse for development on public land
Tracy Stone-Manning is the President of The Wilderness Society, and served as the director of the Bureau of Land Management in the Biden administration from 2021 to 2025, 11/10/26

“…The bill includes important provisions to improve the electrical power grid and permit renewable energy projects that the president unfairly sidelined. But the cost of those reforms is far too high,” Tracy Stone-Manning writes for the Denver Post. “The biggest threats are provisions that risk locking in development on our public lands. Once a project gets a green light, future administrations would be severely limited in the ability to alter or rescind it, even if the project is unlawful, or even if new science shows it would be destructive… “Today, however, the BLM has roughly half that staff — 5,500 employees — after being DOGEd and attacked by this administration. The Fish and Wildlife Service has been similarly gutted. Same with the Forest Service. Permitting requires people to get on the ground, assess problems and solve them. It requires ensuring communities have a voice in protecting clean air, clean water and wildlife. Dismantled agencies won’t be able to meet these deadlines… “Above all, Congress must not give this administration the ability to permanently hand our shared public lands over to corporate interests. The oil and gas industry has made $130 billion in windfall profits just since the president began the Iran war. It doesn’t need more favors from Congress.”